KUMB Awards

Once again there were eleven categories for readers to vote in this year, KUMB.com's fourteenth annual poll.

KUMB.com PLAYER OF THE YEAR


1. SCOTT PARKER (96%)
2. ROBERT GREEN (2%)
3. DEMBA BA (1%)

Last year Scott Parker becomes the first player to win KUMB.com's Player of the Year award twice since we started our annual polls back in 1997. This year he celebrates his third title - and he does so with a second successive landslide following another impressive season in which he stood head and shoulders above the rest of the squad. Robert Green - your Player of the Year in 2007/08 - gets a podium spot for the fifth successive year whilst January signing Demba Ba grabs third place thanks to his eight goals in the latter half of the season.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Scott Parker; 2008/09 Scott Parker; 2007/08 Robert Green; 2006/07 Carlos Tevez; 2005/06 Danny Gabbidon; 2004/05 Teddy Sheringham; 2003/04 Matthew Etherington; 2002/03 Joe Cole; 2001/02 Sebastien Schemmel; 2000/01 Stuart Pearce; 1999/2000 Paolo Di Canio; 1998/99 Steve Lomas; 1997/98 John Hartson.


YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR


1. JAMES TOMKINS (60%)
2. FRED SEARS (31%)
3. JORDAN SPENCE (3%)

Having finished third twice and runner-up twice in the last four years it was surely only a matter of time before JT was croned your Young Player of the Year - and so it is, with the Basildon boy taking almost two-thirds of the votes following a season in which he finally began to deliver on his promise of previous seasons, having become a mainstay in an admittedly leaky West Ham defence. Freddie Sears, after a couple of fairly forgettable loan spells also began to look the part in a claret and blue shirt whilst Jordan Spence receives a heads-up after finally breaking into the first team.

Previous Winners
2009/10: Zavon Hines; 2008/09 Jack Collison; 2007/08 Mark Noble; 2006/07 Mark Noble; 2005/06 Nigel Reo-Coker; 2004/05 Mark Noble; 2003/04 Chris Cohen; 2002/03 Glenn Johnson; 2001/02 Jermain Defoe; 2000/01 Michael Carrick; 1999/2000 Michael Carrick; 1998/99 Rio Ferdinand/Frank Lampard; 1997/98 Rio Ferdinand.


GOAL OF THE SEASON


1. SCOTT PARKER V LIVERPOOL, 27th February (50%)
2. SCOTT PARKER V CHELSEA, 11th September (14%)
3. THOMAS HITZLSPERGER V BURNLEY, 21st February (9%)

It's a one-two for Scotty Parker who retains his 2009/10 award for a strike of stunning quality against Liverpool. The goal was vintage West Ham; a move consisting of around twenty passes culminated with Parker's clever toe-poke that was perfectly weighted to give 'keeper Reina no chance. The midfielder also takes second spot for his cheeky lob in the home defeat against Chelsea last September, whilst Der Hammer's 25 yard thunderbolt in the FA Cup against Bunley in January polled just enough votes to take third spot.

Previous Winners
2009/10: Scott Parker v Wigan; 2008/09 Carlton Cole v Wigan (a); 2007/08 Dean Ashton v Man Utd (a); 2006/07 Mark Noble v Bolton (h); 2005/06 Anton Ferdinand v Fulham (h); 2004/05 Bobby Zamora v Ipswich (a); 2003/04 Jon Harley v Sheffield Utd (a); 2002/03 Paolo Di Canio v Chelsea (h); 2001/02 Trevor Sinclair v Derby (h); 2000/01 Paolo Di Canio v Manchester United (a); 1999/2000 Paolo Di Canio v Wimbledon (h); 1998/99 Stan Lazaridis v Newcastle (a);1997/98 John Hartson v Aston Villa (h).


BEST SIGNING


1. DEMBA BA (83%)
2. THOMAS HITZLSPERGER (10%)
3. GARY O'NEIL (3%)

Despite only arriving at the club towards the end of the January transfer window Senegalese striker Demba Ba is your runaway winner this season. Averaging more than a goal every other game in his short stint at the club Ba's goals gave West Ham the best chance of staying up last season. Thomas Hitzlsperger's career at the club only began in January following a lengthy lay-off but some big performances since earn him a second spot. Wide man Gary O'Neil, who also entered the building in January grabbed third.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Alessandro Diamanti; 2008/09 Valon Behrami; 2007/08 Scott Parker; 2006/07 Carlos Tevez; 2005/06 Yossi Benayoun; 2004/05 Teddy Sheringham; 2003/04 Matthew Etherington; 2002/03 Rufus Brevett; 2001/02 Sebastien Schemmel; 2000/01 Frederic Kanoute; 1999/2000 Igor Stimac; 1998/99 Trevor Sinclair; 1997/98 Eyal Berkovic.


MOST IMPROVED PLAYER


1. JONATHAN SPECTOR (42%)
2. FRED SEARS (19%)
3. JAMES TOMKINS (18%)

Always an interesting and open category, this is one for the underdog - the player who might not get the headlines but has improved immeasurably since last season. It's just 12 months since Spector was voted your Worst Player of the Year - rather harshly, some might
say - but having been given a new lease of life in midfield this year, the American has shone at times - and none more so than when he single-handedly despatched former club Manchester United from the League Cup (more on that later). Freddie Sears gradual yet contnued improvement earns him second spot whilst James Tomkins, your Young Player of the Year grabs third.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Julien Faubert; 2008/09 Carlton Cole; 2007/08 George McCartney; 2006/07 James Collins; 2005/06 Marlon Harewood; 2004/05 Anton Ferdinand; 2003/04 Stephen Bywater; 2002/03 Glen Johnson; 2001/02 Christian Dailly; 2000/01 Michael Carrick; 1999/2000 Marc-Vivien Foe; 1998/99 Frank Lampard; 1997/98 Frank Lampard.


MOST MEMORABLE MATCH


1. WEST HAM UTD 4 MAN UTD 0, 30th November (64%)
2. WEST HAM UTD 3 LIVERPOOL 1, 27th February (22%)
3. WEST HAM UTD 1 TOTTENHAM 0, 25th September (6%)

We do like a game against Manchester United. For the FIFTH time since the KUMB Awards began it is a game against the Red Devils that caught your imagination more than any other. This time it was the extraordinary Carling Cup quarter final, a game won 4-0 and played in conditions more akin to life in the arctic circle. As the snow flew around the Boleyn the Hammers destroyed the eventual League Champions, with two-goal Jonathan Spector the unlikely conducter. The win against Liverpool that gave us all renewed - and false - hope came in some way behind with the early defeat of neighbours Spurs just beating the 3-3 draw at West Brom for third place.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Wigan 3-2 (h); 2008/09 Portsmouth 4-1 (a); 2007/08 Man Utd 2-1 (h); 2006/07 Man Utd 1-0 (a); 2005/06 Liverpool/FA Cup Final (n); 2004/05 Ipswich 2-0 (a); 2003/04 Ipswich 2-0 (h); 2002/03 Chelsea 1-0 (h); 2001/02 Man Utd 1-0 (a); 2000/01 Man Utd 1-0 (a); 1999/2000 Arsenal 2-1 (h); 1998/99 Palace 4-1 (h)/Barnsley 6-0 (h); 1997/98 Tottenham 4-3 (h).


WORST PLAYER OF THE SEASON


1. MATTHEW UPSON (25%)
2. BENNI MCCARTHY (24%)
3. ROBBIE KEANE (11%)

Matthew Upson has tasted both the highs and lows of our annual polls, having previously won both Worst Signing (2006/07) and runner-up Player of the Year (2008/09) awards. But in his final year at the club he frustrated huge numbers of supporters who wanted much more from their captain in times of trouble. However when the going got tough, Upson was usually nursing a sore toe or joint, or something equally minor. Benni McCarthy, your 2009/10 Worst Signing of the Year was no better a season on; the less said about the £5million+ invested in him, the better. Meanwhile third-place Robbie Keane - who unlike McCarthy was at least fit enough to play - couldn't hit the proverbial barn door, missing vital goals at vital times.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Jonathan Spector; 2008/09 Diego Tristan; 2007/08 Luis Boa Morte; 2006/07 Nigel Quashie; 2005/06 No award; 2004/05 Don Hutchison; 2003/04 Wayne Quinn; 2002/03 Gary Breen; 2001/02 Titi Camara; 2000/01 Titi Camara; 1999/2000 Neil Ruddock; 1998/99 Iain Dowie/Andy Impey; 1997/98 Iain Dowie.


WORST SIGNING OF THE SEASON


1. ROBBIE KEANE (47%)
2. PABLO BARRERA (24%)
3. WINSTON REID (17%)

With Avram Grant, David Sullivan and Barry Silkman having made a pigs' ear of our transfer policy this season there was plenty of competition for the category. However in the end it was Agent Keane who took almost half the votes for his four-month spell at the club in
which he managed to blow nearly every golden opportunity presented to him - misses that went some way to condemning the Irons to the drop. On the bright side, we'll not have to pay the £6million transfer fee avoiding relegation would have incurred. Pablo Barrera and Winston Reid may have excelled during the World Cup but they found the Premier League a different beast entirely and both faded into obscurity as the season wore on.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Benni McCarthy; 2008/09 Diego Tristan; 2007/08 Henri Camara; 2006/07 Matthew Upson; 2005/06 No award; 2004/05 Mauricio Tarrico; 2003/04 Wayne Quinn; 2002/03 Gary Breen; 2001/02 Ragnvald Soma; 2000/01 Titi Camara; 1999/2000 Sasa Ilic; 1998/99 Andy Impey; 1997/98 Ian Pearce.


BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT


1. RELEGATION (41%)
2. CONTINUOUSLY THROWING AWAY A LEAD (27%)
3. THE CARLING CUP SEMI FINAL DEFEAT (11%)

It seems odd that in a season in which we were relegated only two in every five votes saw that as the biggest blow; perhaps we had come to accept the sheer inevitability of it all by the time it finally happened on that miserable Sunday in Wigan. However in a year littered with disappointments perhaps it seems less so. A season of throwing away lead after lead disappointed enough of you to earn that a runners-up spot, whilst snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in the Carlin Cup semi-final second leg rankled with enough voters to take third.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Dean Ashton's retirement; 2008/09 The Lord Griffiths ruling in favour of Sheffield Utd; 2007/08 The injury situation; 2006/07 Failing to build on the previous season's success; 2005/06 The FA Cup Final; 2004/05 Booing players; 2003/04 Millwall away; 2002/03
Relegation; 2001/02 Chelsea FA Cup defeat; 2000/01 Spurs FA Cup defeat; 1999/2000 Mannygate.


MOST MISSED


1. ALESSANDRO DIAMANTI (43%)
2. VALON BEHRAMI (21%)
3. GUILLERMO FRANCO (19%)

In an admittedly weak category - it's questionable if any of the available candidates who left the club last summer were missed to any great degree - Italian trequartista Diamanti came out tops with a fairly convincing winning margin, having polled twice the votes of his
nearest competitor. Valon Behrami, despite his numerous niggles and moans took one out of every five votes to earn that second spot, narrowly beating veteran striker Franco into third. The chances are this'll be a considerably better category next season, in terms of
quality...

Previous Winners
2009/10 Dean Ashton.


HACKETT OF THE YEAR


1. AVRAM GRANT (46%)
2. KARREN BRADY (16%)
3. DAVID SULLIVAN (9%)

Here's a first; three employees of West Ham United taking all the available spots in our

Hackett poll for this season - but that's perhaps no surprise when you consider that all three have had numerous critics over the course of the season. Former manager Avram Grant's share of the votes gives him a comfortable winning margin - fortunately he'll never darken our doors again. However Karren Brady and David Sullivan remain charged with leading West Ham back to the Premier League having presided over affairs as the club were relegated during their first full season in charge. It seems reducing debt isn't enough on its own to keep people happy; sniping newspaper columns and continual appearances in the media have had a damaging effect.

Previous Winners
2009/10 Eidur Gudjohnsen; 2008/09 Lord Griffiths; 2007/08 Kevin McCabe; 2006/07 Dave Whelan (Wigan).

That's that for another year; thank you once again to all of our readers who voted in this year's poll and for your continued support of KUMB.com.